


Pirates of O'eruta

by Loloia_Brabock



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Angst, Fluff, M/M, Not too much violence, Pirates of the Caribbean AU, Royal!Zeb, Space Pirates, kind of, the original characters are for the sake of the plot, they're mainly in the beginning and then that's it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-09 15:15:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11671689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loloia_Brabock/pseuds/Loloia_Brabock
Summary: Zeb’s ears twitched as he poked and prodded, only stopping once he laid his paw on the boy's chest. There was something hard underneath his shirt.Leaning forward even more, Zeb got closer as he stretched the collar to reveal a golden pendant attached to a thin leather string. It almost reached to the boy's stomach since it was so big on him, but that wasn't what caught his eyes, no…What caught his eye was the symbol that was carved into the pendant.“You're a pirate…” Zeb whispered, his eyes wide as he searched his face and stared. The boy was human, but he couldn't have been any older than Zeb himself, so how in stars name was he apirate?Suddenly, the boy gasped loudly, and his hand shot out, grabbing Zeb in the wrist with a rather strong grip. His eyes were hazy and clouded, like he didn't really know what was going on.It didn't seem like he knew that Zeb was carrying the necklace, so instead of informing him that he had it, he smiled kindly at the shocked boy.“My name is Garazeb Orrelios.” He purred, hoping the noise would calm him down like it calmed him when his dad did it. “It's okay…you're safe now.”





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first work for the Kalluzeb ship, so if you don't like that pairing please don't read this. The story follows the movie pretty well, so if you haven't seen them you don't have to to understand what's going on. 
> 
> Also, I'll be adding my tags as I go along. 
> 
> That wasn't really relevant, but I wanted you all to know.

Once the ship jumped out from hyperspace, Zeb immediately ran to the front of the bridge and looked out the giant windows that protected his family and crew from the unyielding, dark vacuum. The planet they were coming in from was one that had been abandoned by the Separatists at the end of the Clone Wars, and it was his Dad, the Lasat Senator Bromen Orrelios, who had bees assigned to re-inhabit this world and make it the new home for the remaining refugees who had fled their homes to escape the war. It was to be a safe haven for them all, and they were going to be the first people to inhabit it.

Needless to say, nine year old Garazeb Orrelios, was excited.

He had never been off world before, not until his was destroyed, but O'eruta was an oasis compared to the desert-esque planet he was from.

"I've heard that pirates and smugglers used this planet as an outpost before the Separatists managed to run them through." He heard his father say to his head advisor, an Zeb couldn't help but flick his ear in their direction. He wasn't allowed to go into Senate meetings, he wouldn't until he was at lease of age, but this was a rare opportunity to learn more about the politics that ran deep throughout the Galaxy.

Plus, pirates.

"Yes, and there still might be a few of them left so we must tread carefully as we enter the atmosphere." The large blue-ish female responded in kind. She was nice, and always gave him her extra cookies when she didn't want them anymore, so he felt a little bad for listening in but he was a curious child, and he needed to know.

Suddenly, the entire ship jerked, and Zeb stumbled, watching with wide eyes as the cruiser got lower and lower, the clouds turning into a thick fog as they lowered themselves onto the one of the land masses on the forest planet.

_"Drink up, me hearties, yo-ho~_

_Drink up, me hearties, yo-ho~_

_Yo-ho, yo-ho_

_A pirate's life for me~_

_We extort, we pilfer, we filch, we sack, drink up..."_

"Garazeb Orrelios, you will be quiet this instant!" A voice hissed to him as a heavy hand suddenly dropped into his shoulder, making his fur stand on end. Turning, he was met with the narrowed green eyes of his dad's long time friend, Galo. "Cursed pirates flew across these lands. You don't want to bring them down upon us, do you boy?" He growled, and Zeb shook his head wildly, his ears drooping in fright.

"Mister Orrodd, enough of that! You're frightening the poor cub." Divonatt, his dad's advisor, growled, snapping at the older pinkish Lasat that had snuck up on him. She stepped forward, prepared to fight if necessary, but the older Lasat just backed away as to not cause anymore trouble.

"He was singing about pirates, Ruta! We don't need the kind of luck he's spewing out of his _mangy little_ -"

"Mark my **words** -" she hissed, glaring at him and standing to her full height. Zeb chose to back away to where his father was overlooking the sonar. "-if you were a lesser man I would kill you where you stand-"

"Consider them marked." Galo spat, glaring at Zeb once more before he marched off and out of the bridge. Zeb hissed for good measure, making his dad chuckle and fondly pat him on the head and run his claws through his purple fur.

"It's bad luck to have a child on board, sir. Are you certain we should've brought him along with us?" He head another Lasat, one of the pilots, say as he landed the ship.

"I think it'll be exciting to meet a pirate!" Zeb hissed, letting out a faint growl as he turned to the older gentleman, his ears twitching in anger.

"Pirates are vile creatures Garazeb." His father hummed, still running his claws through his fur to calm him down. "They're dissolute, the lot of them. Any man or woman that wears the brand or flies one of their ships will seek judgment under my rule here on O'eruta."

"I know, father." He rolled his eyes, leaning to see if he could slip away with the scouts. He wanted to be a fighter, you see, and the scouts would be the first of his people to step foot on this world.

Zeb wanted to be with them.

He wanted to explore, and fight with the wild creatures, and look for pirates and gold in the foggy mud of this new world, but he was sure that his father wouldn't let him without an escort.

He was basically a prince now that his brother was gone, along with the royal family, (that thought still shook him to his core) and that meant that he had to be protected at all cost. He would be next in line to the throne if anything happened, so it was his dad's job to make sure nothing happened to him.

"Dad-" he hissed with wide eyes as he tugged on the large white cloak that rested on his shoulders. It made his father's deep purple fur look bright and fluffy, and he loved how he could now just tug on it to get his attention.

Without looking up, he heard his dad sigh.

"Stay near Miss Divonatt, Garazeb." His dad rumbled tiredly, making Zeb look up in shock. He was actually letting him go. "And don't run off!"

"Sir, I'm worried about the effect this might have upon your son-"

"He's just a cub. Let him explore if he wants to, Ruta." He sighed out again, and she nodded, turning to him with a tight smile, but Zeb didn't care, he simply just ran off after the scouts. He heard Miss Divonatt yelp and his father's laughter in the background, but it was all noise now.

He traveled as fast as his little paws could take him, quickly catching up to the scouts that had touched the ground he was now walking on. They had their bo-rifles ready as they surveyed the planet, and he felt left out.

Quickly hopping over to a fallen tree, he picked up a large branch, the largest one he could carry, and carried it in front of him like it was his own miniature bo-rifle.

There was a breeze that passed him. It was light, but there was a scent it carried, one that he had never smelled before. It shouldn't have been a surprise. This was a new planet to him, but he couldn't help but follow in the direction that the wind had come from.

The small was faint, and very calming to his nose, but as he trudged through the foliage he noticed small footprints like he had never seen before. They were flat, and completely toe-less, which meant that the scent he was following was most likely human.

But, the footprints were very…small.

He tilted his head in confusion.

Rolling his eyes, he looked forward once more, and pushed his way through a bush that led to a large clearing. The trees that surrounded him were splintered and cracked, and the ground was caved in like someone had crash landed here.

The smell of gasoline was nearly puke-worthy, but Zeb was determined to find the scent that allured him, so he stuck up his chin and followed it as best as he could.

He managed to climb over one of the large called trees after a few moments of hesitation, and managed to stumble upon an opened escape pod.

Bringing the branch forward, he tip-toed near the wreckage, shaking in both fear and excitement. He had actually found something, something that their scouts couldn't, which meant he wa the first and that terrified him.

 _‘What if it's a pirate?’_ He thought to himself and he walked closed and peeked into the opening, but what he saw made him gasp in disbelief and drop his “weapon” in shock. He ran as quick as he could, trying to find Miss Divonatt and the scouts, screaming “There's a boy in the pod! There's a boy in the pod!” as loud as he could.

It wasn't long until the scouts showed up.

He grabbed the closest one and tugged an his belt before running off to where the escape pod was steaming. They followed him without complaint, which he was extremely grateful for.

“Haul him out!”

The boy was pale, and had a large gash on his forehead that was wet with blood, which was the source of the scent that he had caught a whiff of all those minutes ago. The Lasats were quick to pull him out of the steaming vessel, and carry him to safety, away from all of the flammable explosive material.

Looking up to where he had found the silver ship, he saw a large ship in the far distance, breaching the planet's atmosphere. It was leaving, and it was too late for them to catch the wayward pirates so he simply stayed quiet as the men and women around him tried to see if the boy was still alive.

He was. Zeb didn't know how he knew, but he could feel that the boy was still alive.

“Zeb, after they're done I want you to take care of the boy. He’ll be your charge while we speak to your father.” The blue-ish female Lasat told him in a quiet voice, only walking away once he nodded in understanding.

Soon enough, after a few minutes of work, Miss Divonatt and the scouts left him in charge of ‘patient’. It was his job to make sure that when/if he woke up, he didn't get away from them.

But, Zeb was a curious cub, and he _had_ to know who this boy was, so he edged closer and leaned forward to scent the boy.

He smelled warm, and soft, and really nice. He couldn't describe it, but he knew he wanted to protect him as best as he could.

Crouching down, he poked at his stomach, and looked at his arms. They were pale, and full of little dark spots like the ones on his face, reminding Zeb of his own stripes that littered his body. His head was the only place that actually had fur, and even then, the dirty yellow strands were thin and smooth, not thick like his own fur. It would protect him from the cold, which was probably why he was also wearing the long sleeved garments.

Zeb’s ears twitched as he poked and prodded, only stopping once he laid his paw on the boy's chest. There was something hard underneath his shirt.

Leaning forward even more, Zeb got closer as he stretched the collar to reveal a golden pendant attached to a thin leather string. It almost reached to the boy's stomach since it was so big on him, but that wasn't what caught his eyes, no…

What caught his eye was the symbol that was carved into the pendant.

“You're a pirate…” Zeb whispered, his eyes wide as he searched his face and stared. The boy was human, but he couldn't have been any older than Zeb himself, so how in stars name was he a _pirate_?

Suddenly, the boy gasped loudly, and his hand shot out, grabbing Zeb in the wrist with a rather strong grip. His eyes were hazy and clouded, like he didn't really know what was going on.

It didn't seem like he knew that Zeb was carrying the necklace, so instead of informing him that he had it, he smiled kindly at the shocked boy.

“My name is Garazeb Orrelios.” He purred, hoping the noise would calm him down like it calmed him when his dad did it. “It's okay…you're safe now.”

“…Kallus…” the boy gasped out, and Zeb listened intently. “…Lutsen…”

They stared at each other, eyes never blinking as the boy's breaths calmed and Zeb’s heart stopped fluttering.

“I'm watching over you, Kal…” he mumbled, watching enraptured as his eyes flickered and finally shut, his body going limp once more. Zeb breathed a sigh of relief.

The pendant was still clutched in his hand, but it had finally slipped off of Kallus’ neck when he had slumped back onto the ground, so now the strings of leather were just dangling from his palm as he studied the gold.

“Has he said anything?” Miss Divonatt’s voice was right behind him, and he twirled around, placing his hands behind him as he faced her.

“He said his name is Kallus Lutsen…” he mumbled, looking away as he stealthily put the pendant in his back pocket. He took a moment to think of whether or not he should tell them that he was a pirate, but he couldn't do it. He needed to protect Kal. Telling them wouldn't protect him. “…that's all I found out.”

She nodded, stepping around him to kneel beside Kal, and Zeb had the sudden urge at growl at her but he suppressed it.

“We need to take him back to the ship.” She said, reaching her arms around and picking him up like he was nothing more than a twig. The scouts that had just entered the clearing nodded, and followed her back to the ship.

Staying behind, Zeb waited until the others were gone before he pulled the pendant out and studied it some more.

“Come on, Zeb!” Be heard the faint yell from between the trees. Looking up, he saw that they were already disappearing into the wilderness, so he quickly put on the necklace and tucked it into his shirt before he ran off after the group.

 

**TWELVE YEARS LATER**

 

Zeb yawned, reaching his arms up above his head and stretched as tight as he could before sighing back into the comfort of his bed.

Rolling over to his stomach, he reached over to his bedside desk and pulled open the closest drawer to him to take out the gold pendant he had taken from Kallus ally those years ago. It didn't shine as much as it used to, and it was caked in dust, but the carvings were just as prominent as they were nearly 12 years ago.

Sighing, after minutes of staring at the now small object, he got up so he could groom himself in the bathroom, taking the pendant with him.

Clicking on the light, he frowned. His fur was sticking up in all sorts of places, which meant he'd have to take a bath to straighten them all down properly.

Clutching the pendant in his hand, he leaned forward and turned on the faucet, cleaning it as best as he could before he placed the well-worn leather straps around his neck.

The golden pendant laid perfectly in between the muscles on his chest, and the color made his fur look brighter in the florescent lighting.

I'm all his years, he had always wondered where Kallus had gotten the pendant, but he never asked in fear of starting an argument, or his dad overhearing the conversation. Kal was his best friend. If his father had the slightest hint that he might be a pirate, he would be executed by the end of the day, and Zeb didn't want that to happen, so he stayed quiet.

He stayed quiet everyday for 12 years.

Turning around, he grabbed his grey t-shirt he had hanging on the towel rack and put it on, along with his sweatpants that were right beside it, watching as the gold reflected off the light every time he moved.

 _“Garazeb?”_ His father called, knocking loudly on the door to his quarters. _“May I come in?”_

Zeb groaned quietly to himself, tucking in the necklace before responding with a dull “Yes, father.”

 _“Are you decent?”_ His dad called, once more making sure he could come in without disturbing him. Zeb chuckled at his antics.

“Yes!” He laughed, walking to his bed and sitting on it just as his dad and three of their maids walked in behind him. He watched as his dad frowned and looked around his dark room.

“You're still in bed?” He asked incredulously, looking at the comfy clothes Zeb was wearing and the closed drapes in his room. “But it's such a beautiful day!” He called to him, walking over to the windows and throwing the draped open with a dramatic flourish. Zeb squinted his eyes at the brightness, frowning as his dad opened the glass windows to let the fresh air filter through.

Looking out, Zeb had to admit, it was a very beautiful day.

The breeze was soft and fresh. The sun was low in the sky, just rising. The local birds were flying through the crisp morning air, and the seashore they lived by was reflecting the golden rays of light just perfectly through the clouds.

“I have a gift for you.” His dad said, waving towards the maids. Zeb watched, his ears perked up as the three women brought in a large, thin box and placed in on the couch at the foot of his bed.

“Dad…” Zeb raised his eyebrows, looking at the intricate designs that flowed all over the suit. “…this is amazing!” He hummed, raking his eyes all over the garment. “What's the occasion?” He asked, turning to look at his father with an almost excited expression. He hoped it was an early birthday present, he was turning 21 next week, but he didn't dare hold on to hope.

He knew that once he reached maturity, he would most likely have to enter a political marriage, but his father promised him he wouldn't have to do that until he finished his training for the Armor Guard. It was unusual for someone in his position to enter what was referred to as their military, but it had been a lifelong dream of him and his father supported his decision the entire way through schooling and early adulthood.

“Do I need an occasion to dote upon my son so near to his birthday?” He asked innocently, and Zeb leveled him with a flat look, making the older Lasat roll his eyes and chuckle. “Alright…I was hoping that you would wear it to the ceremony today.”

“The ceremony?” He grumbled questionably as he moved to his dressing room to put on the clothes. He couldn't see his dad from here, but he could still hear him fairly well

“Miss Divonatt’s promotion ceremony.”

He paused, poking his head out from behind the dressing room. “Dad…” he groaned, rolling his eyes.

“Can you imagine…Senator Divonatt. She's grown to be a fine woman, don't you think?” His father growled excitedly, his ears perking up in delight, nearly laughing at Zeb’s expression. “It's exciting, isn't it?” He asked, looking at him expectantly.

“Dad, you promised-” Zeb hissed, moving back into the room so he could put on the suit angrily. Now that he had reached maturity, and was officially considered an adult, his dad had been trying to set him up with every influential male and female that was sent his way, even one’s that were nearly 10 years older than him.

He was just thankful none of his suitors were as old or older than his father.

“Alright, alright…” his dad chuckled, humming a bit as Zeb pulled on the last of the suit. “...but her family is very influential in the Senate, Garazeb. It would be wise to have them backing us and they're Lasat, so you would have no problem having chi-”

“Dad!” He gasped, hissing slightly as he finally strapped in the last of the suit. It was right around his chest, making his breaths quick and shallow, but also making his posture almost perfect, which he thought was the point of it all.

“Are you alright in there, Garazeb?” His dad called through the door, and he nodded to himself before answering.

“It's tight.” He admitted lowly, finally stepping out of the room. He heard more than saw the three maids sigh, making him roll his eyes with a blush. He knew he was handsome by Lasat standards, but actually seeing it first hand was embarrassing.

“I'm told it’s the latest fashion in Coruscant.” His dad said happily in response, making him frown.

“The people on Coruscant must've learned not to breathe.” He mumbled in protest, crossing his arms as he shifted uncomfortably.

There was a knock on the door.

 _“Sir, if I may.”_ A deep voice said from behind the door. Zeb recognized it as the family butler. “You have a visitor.”

He and his dad looked at each other in question, before walking to the door.

**_____**

Kallus had never really been a busy man.

He liked to take his time with things. He liked to study tactics and play games that challenged him intellectually. He loved weapons, and shooting, and sparring with the locals as much as he could. He wasn't a master of anything, but more often that not, everything that crossed his path he was good at.

But, most of all, he loved the locals.

Living in the capital of O'eruta was challenging for a human, but it was not undoable. He wasn't the only one here, but since the Senator of this planet was a Lasat, his people surrounded him wherever he went.

His advisors were Lasat, as was Kallus’ boss and most of his friends, and no matter where he was, they loved to poke at him and tease him about his pale face or his freckles and fair hair.

But, he didn't do it for them.

At 21 years old, Kallus was an adult by most species standards, which meant that he was no longer the local government's responsibility and that he needed multiple jobs in order to pay for an apartment, food, and utilities so he could continue to live in the inner circle.

He didn't mind it as much as he thought he did.

His smarts, hard work, and quick thinking helped him land one of the highest paying jobs there was.

Being a blacksmith.

Lasats prided themselves on their weapons. The heavier they hit, the lighter they were, if they were compactable, had a wide range, if they were guns or shields or bo-rifles, it didn't matter. You were not a grown Lasat until you had a weapon of your own.

And he had somehow managed to get a job with the best blacksmith on this side of the planet.

Everyday he was doing something that challenged him, and despite the stickiness of the humid heat, he loved every aspect of it. Blacksmiths were far and few in between ever since the mass genocide of Lasan, but it was one of the hardest jobs there were, and Kallus thrived in it.

He was a quick learner, he was smart and strong and agile, he was deemed a worthy opponent to every fighter he had come across, he knew the inner workings and mechanics to hundreds of weapons and was definitely no stranger to danger.

He worked hard everyday to keep his job, and every spare second he had he was still at the shop working on the perfect weapon.

But this one wasn't for him or any other customer that had walked in.

This one was for Zeb, Senator Orrelios’ son. His best friend and the most beautiful creature he had ever crossed.

They had met when he was nine years old. He didn't remember why they had met, only the how. Everything else in his memory before that moment was blank save for a few brief flashes of faces. He knew his mother's face, and his father's voice, but beyond knowing that he had always felt safe with them, he couldn't for the life of him remember anything else. The doctors here had called it amnesia, or memory loss, and they had told him once he was old enough to understand, that he might never get those memories back.

He was fine with it.

Kallus could vaguely remember and unhappiness clouding his mind whenever he would try to delve deeper into his youth. Whatever he was suppressing was not good, he understood that much, so he decided to just be thankful for his second upbringing here on O’eruta.

For what it was worth, he didn't mind one bit.

Being able to not only meet, but be friends of what was now the Royal Lasat Family was a blessing, even more so that Zeb was his age, which was precisely what led him here to begin with.

He was standing in the foyer of the Senators palace, waiting nervously to speak with Bromen. He had come, intending to ask if he could court his son because there was a ceremony going on today, and he feared if he didn't ask, that Zeb would be paired off with some nobleman before he had a chance to woo him himself.

He wasn't sore if his plan would work, it most likely wouldn't, but he would rather be declined courtship rather than spend his whole life wondering what if.

Twiddling his hands, he placed the specially carved bo-rifle against the wall, and reached up to fix the crooked wall lamp near his head, but once he had grabbed it, the metal popped off the wall with a resounding CRACK, making Kallus jump in fright.

 _‘Oh no…’_ He thought, eyes widening as he looked at the broken light fixture in his palm. _‘Karabast! What do it do?!’_

Looking around erratically, he noticed that no one was in the general vicinity, so as quickly as he could, he threw the broken junk metal into the vase on the table below the lamp, and grabbed his gift to hold behind his back. He tried to look as innocent as he could while Bromen gracefully walked down the long winding stairway.

“Ah! Mr. Lutsen, it's a pleasure to see you again!” Bromen laughed heartily, walking up to the small human and wrapping his arms around him in a tight hug. Kallus awkwardly patted his back in repose as he tried to keep one hand on the weapon behind him.

“Same to you.” He responded lightly, a blush staining his cheeks as he was put down. Backing away, he leaned the weapon against the wall and picked up a large box that he had placed on the floor before placing it on the table near the stairs. “I have what you've ordered right here, sir.” He explained, opening the box to reveal a beautiful and excellently carved vibrosword.

Gingerly picking it up with both hands, he turned to the aging Senator and held the blade out with a bow. It was only polite and traditional in the Lasat homeworld for the student to place a weapon into their Master’s hands in a bow, to show respect and honor. He felt that it was the right thing to do since the purple Lasat in front of him basically raised him.

According to the pleased, proud growl, it was most definitely the right thing to do.

Kallus flushed with warmth.

“Remarkable…” Bromen breathed out, testing the balance and the weight of the vibrosword.

“The blade is made from some of the finest metals known, making it worthy for all types of battle.” He explained, eyes lighting up in excitement as he boasted about his work. “I've even managed to improve the energy cell and ultrasonic vibration generator a great deal, making it impervious to both electric attacks and lightsabers.” He informed them, flushing a deeper red when the purple Lasat looked to him in shock. “A-and I've laid a bit of gold into the handle to give it a more feminine look without it lessening the craft.”

He stared at him, and Kallus could feel his hands twitching under the scrutiny.

“This blade is perfectly balanced, and the tang is nearly the width of the blade…” the Senator hummed, ears twitching in what Kallus assumed was respect. “This is very impressive. Senator Divonatt is going to be very pleased with your work, Mr. Lutsen.”

“A craftsman is always pleased to hear that his work is appreciated, Sir.” Kallus bowed, looking up and his eyes catching on the scene in front of him, making him nearly gasp out loud.

Garazeb was walking down the stairs in a beautiful forest green, full body, three-piece suit with a purple vest that matched his darker stripes perfectly. He looked stunning in the morning glow, and Kallus couldn't look away.

“Garazeb, you look stunning!” Senator Orrelios exclaimed in happiness, turning to watch his son, but the younger male ignored him completely as soon as he locked eyes with the fair skilled human by his father.

“Kal!” Zeb laughed, bounding down the stairs with renewed energy. “It's so good to see you!”

He was about to respond, the reply right in his opening lips, but Zeb’s bright “I dreamed about you last night!” Drowned out whatever he was about to say and left him breathless once more.

“Garazeb, that's hardly proper-” his father started to say, but Zeb merely rolled his eyes and continued to speak as if he weren't there at all.

“It was about the day we met. Do you remember that?” He asked, smiling down at him.

“H-how could I forget Garazeb?” Kallus stuttered, eyes moving downwards before locking with the taller Lasat’s. He watched in silence as his large purple friend huffed out fond laughter before continuing more silently.

“How many times do I have to tell you to call me Zeb before you actually do it?” He questioned lightly in a teasing manner.

“At least once more, as always.” Kallus responded, raising a single brow in defiance. This banter was simple and easy, something the did every time they met, making it easy for him to forget there there were actually other people in the room.

“At least the boy has a sense of propriety.” Bromen’s voice shocked them both out of their stupor, and makes them look to him in shock as he pushed past the two still figures. “We really must be going, Garazeb.” He called from the front door, ushering out the maids as he held the door open for them.

Kallus watched with a heavy heart as his crush and longtime friend put on a blank face and straightened his relaxed shoulders into a perfect stance before looking back at him with bored eyes. “Good day, Mr. Lutsen.” He growled, bowing with drooped ears before he turned to walk out the door.

Kallus was left in the foyer, gawking like an idiot as Lasat after Lasat exited the building.

Rushing to grab the bo-rifle, Kallus then jogged to the exit, seeing all the people climb into different vehicles and drive off in the direction of City Hall.

“Good day…Zeb.” He called out softly as the Lasat in question got into the backseat of a speeder.

Kallus watched in shock as Zeb turned to look at him, as if he had heard his voice.

Their eyes stayed locked, even as Zeb’s form faded away before completely disappearing into the distance.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You are without doubt the worst smuggler I've ever heard of.” The Captain admitted, making Kanan smile despite the situation.
> 
> “But you have heard of me.” He boasted with a smile, it only getting wider once he heard the aggressive noise that came out of the Captain's throat.

The man sighed, breathing in the crisp, salty air as he proudly stood on top of his lowering ship. He had entered this planet not too long ago, and had intended to land on it while he made a quick pit stop since he had gotten a tip a while ago that this planet was lush and diverse. A gentleman such as he would fit right in here, but first and foremost, he had to land.

Looking around, he saw a billboard not far from where he now stood, and squinted his eyes in order to read the words.

**_Pirates be warned._ **

I was a simple message. One that got across clear as day since there were two decaying bodies right underneath the sign.

He had heard that this planet had just rid itself of Separatist thugs and lowly pirates only a few decades ago, which meant that these fine gentlemen on the string must've been the last of the ‘traitors.’

The man bowed in respect to his fallen brothers before looking on in silence.

As he was nearing one of the many landing platforms on the surface, he breathed in deep, letting the calm wash over him before he jumped off his ship in a graceful arch, landing perfectly balanced on his feet.

He was determined to make his run here.

Right after he cleaned up his now crashed and burning freighter.

It was busy here. Everywhere he looked, people were loading cargo onto ships or getting off or onto their respective vehicles. He seemed so out of place, but welcomed the staring eyes that judged him as he walked past.

Looking away from the burning hull, the man marched on, eyes sweeping over the dock before landing on a tall blue furred gentleman and the small being next to him.

He sauntered on over to the gentleman, swaggering the whole way there.

“Hello! Welcome to the O’eruta Port.” The Lasat stated proudly, bringing his data pad to his arms and typing out something he couldn't quite get a read on. It was too much work to look over and be nosy right now. Besides, it was probably some boring paperwork anyhow. “Its 300 credits to park your… _ship_.” They both turned to look at the crash sight, his eyes full of confusion while the bookkeeper looked on in distaste. “And I'll need a name, of course.”

“...of course..” he clasped his hands together and bowed before bringing his hand to his pocket. “What do you say to 800 credits, and we forget the name…” he proposed, bringing the credit chips and slating them all over the pad. The Lasat looked to him with wide, considering eyes before humming, swiping up the credits. “...and the ship?”

The little eyes beside the two of them widened, eyebrows going up in shock as the older being turned to him fully and bowed. “...Welcome to the Capital of O’eruta, Mr. Doe.”

The man bowed once more, a smile on his face as he walked by the two beings before encountering a small office to the side. There was a little bag on top of the desk closest to the door.

Picking it up, he jingled the bag full of credits before pocketing it and continuing on his merry way.

_____

Zeb growled, shifting uncomfortably in the morning sun. Despite his father's sunny disposition, he was feeling rather winded in the high altitude the ceremony was taking place. They were on the side of a mountain, and the tightness of his suit made him feel faint. It took a tremendous amount of force to keep himself upright, and he had to take quick breaths to try and keep himself from fainting.

He didn't know what his father was thinking, but he looked on happily as he could, even though he really didn't want to be there he had to keep up appearances for propriety's sake.

He zoned out, trying to focus on his breathing more than anything, and by the time his dad nudged him forward, the whole ceremony had already taken place.

_____

The man sauntered forward, bypassing the landing platforms until he stumbled upon a door that said ‘Restricted Area.’ Leaning forwards and looking in every direction he could think of, he was pleased to find that there was no one around. Inching forward, he placed his hand on the small silver doorknob and twisted it, peeking his head inside to see two officers playing cards.

Shrugging at the way they were distracting themselves, he let himself in, not even flinching when the door behind him slammed closed with a harsh _BANG_.

The two guards, however, jumped from their seats and ran forward as soon as they saw him, weapons drawn and ready.

The man put his hands up, bored and unconcerned.

“This area is off-limits to civilians.” One of the guards said. Looking at the small plate resting on his left breast, the man noticed that it said Titus in pristine, carved out letters. Glancing to the shorter man beside him, because he was a man and not a Lasat like he had expected, he read the name Lyste.

“I'm sorry, I didn't know.” He lied, placing a charming smile on his face as he feigned innocence. “If I see one, I'll tell you immediately.” The man added, turning around to walk away before facing them once again.

“There's quite a ruckus going on upstairs, isn't there?” He asked no one in particular before continuing as if they weren't about to answer. “How could it be that two outstanding gentlemen such as yourselves did not warrant an invitation?”

“We…we have to make sure this port stays off limits to civilians.” Lyste responded hesitantly, looking to his partner before they rested their eyes on the man once more.

“And you're doing a fine job, I'm sure.” He agreed readily, opening his arms wide to show friendliness and agreement. He somehow had to lure them into a false sense of security. “To me thought, it seems like a ship like that-” he brought his hands forward, like he was cradling something gentle in them as he stared at the massive star destroyer on the far side of the hangar. “-makes this one here seem a bit small, don't you think?” Eyes landing on the slightly smaller ship nearest to them, he drew their attention away for just a moment, but that was all he needed. Before they even realized it, they were both engaged in a conversation with him, their weapons de-charged and faced away.

“The Admonitor has great power, sure, but no ship can match The Chimaera in speed.”

“I've heard of one!” The man exclaimed excitedly, pointing his finger as if he had just thought of something clever. “It's supposed to be fast, nearly uncatchable…” he paused for dramatic effect. “…The Ghost.”

There was a moment of silence before both of them burst into laughter.

“Be serious! There's no _real_ ship that can match The Chimaera.” Titus assured, straightening up while Lyste stared at him like he was crazy.

“...The Ghost is a real ship.” Lyste blurred out, eyes wide.

The man in front of the two rolled his eyes, and walked around them.

Those fools. They had completely forgot he was there, but he kept an ear on them as he walked up to the closest ship to them. It was a freighter, something small, but the modifications on it made it reliably fast and a heavy hitter.

He had to give it to whoever designed it, it was a pretty nice ship. Built for a small crew of a few, maybe 30 people, but large enough to do some real damage if faced against a real enemy.

“No it's not!”

“Yes it is!” Lyste insisted, now turning to face his partner. “I've seen it.”

“You've seen it?” Titus remarked sarcastically, disbelief written across his face.

“Yes!”

“You've seen a ship with with a scorched hull, that's crewed by the damned and captained by a being so fierce and evil, that the Force itself refuses to claim their life?” He asked sarcastically, pausing and enunciating each word so carefully, the man listening in could almost hear background music.

He started humming to himself as he ran his fingers on the cool metal of the ship and entered it.

Lyste, blissfully unaware of what was happening behind him, thought for a moment before smiling and nodding at his partner. “...no.” He confessed. “But I have seen a ship with a black hull.”

“Oooh!” Titus waved his fingers at him sarcastically. “No ship that's not crewed by the damned and captained by a being so fierce and evil that the Force refuses to claim their life could possibly have black sails, therefore couldn't be any other ship than The Ghost. Is that what you're saying, Lyste?”

“No.” He admitted again, smile still on his face. At this point, the man thought that Lyste was just messing with him, but the look in his eyes suggested otherwise.

Could he really be so dim?

“Then like I said, there's no _real_ ship that can match the Chimae...” Titus trailed off, turning to where the man had previously been, but he wasn't there anymore. Turning his head, he looked around before locking eyes with him in the cockpit of the ship behind them. “Hey!” He shouted, garnering the attention of his partner. It wasn't long before they ran into the freighter and popped up behind him, out of breath.

“Get out of the cockpit!” Lyste demanded, pointing his blaster at the man who, for some reason, looked smug. “You don't have permission to be aboard this ship!”

“I'm really sorry, it's just such a pretty ship. Freighter-” he corrected with a smile, leaning back into the captain's chair.

“...What's your name?” Lyste asked hesitantly, smart enough to not lower his weapon.

“Doe! Or John, if it's easier.”

“What're your plans while you're on O’eruta ‘John Doe.’” Titus asked, frowning while he loaded his weapon.

“Yeah, and no lies!” Lyste added petulantly.

“…Alright, I confess.” He chuckled, standing and raising his hands in a sign of peace as he babbled on, spewing the truth and nothing else. It would throw them off guard enough, it would be hilarious, and if he was honest...he was an honest man.

Well, honest enough. “My plan is to commandeer one of your ships in this hangar right here, look for a crew here on the wonderful city of whatever, raid and pillage the city in search of my shipment and drink till I'm puking my guts out, plundering my way into an early grave.”

“...I said no lies!”

“I think he's telling the truth…” Titus mumbled, eyes flickering back and forth between his partner and the man who had given them the slip.

“If he was telling the truth, he wouldn't have told us!”

The man smirked. “Unless of course I knew that you wouldn't believe me even when I told it to you.”

Their eyes went blank with confusion.

This was too much fun.

_____

Zeb was panting.

It's not like it was hot out, but the suit that was constricting his chest was now borderline painful.

“May I have a word?” A voice said from behind, knocking the air out of his chest as he turned to face none other than Ruta Divonatt.

“Of course.” He mumbled, bowing as he led her onto the balcony overseeing the ocean beneath them. It was a beautiful palace, the one that the ceremony had taken place at, it was ancient and it had seemed fitting for his father to hold the gathering here.

“You look dashing, Garazeb…” she said softly, almost hesitant as she stepped forward.

His ears twitched.

 _‘Dashing?’_ He thought, drawing in his eyebrows, confused. He smiled at her as pleasantly as he could, which ended up as a grimace more than anything. Zeb didn't think she even noticed.

“I apologize if I seem forward, but I must speak my mind…” she continued, looking away from him to gaze out to the sea.

Ruta Divonatt was, as far as Lasat go, a beautiful woman. She was tall, strong, her fur tamed and had spots scattering her face like freckles. The gold outline around her eyes brought out the red-purplish color, and her trimmed nails were sharp enough to kill a man if needed. She was a seasoned warrior on top of a diplomat, and now, she held the mantle of Senator.

She was a fine woman indeed.

But, that was exactly the problem.

She was a woman.

Leaning out against the balcony, he gasped, trying to hide his discomfort, but his eyes were going hazy and his ears were ringing, and to be honest, he didn't even know what was happening or what Divonatt was talking about.

“This promotion has brought something to my attention recently, something I never thought of thinking before. I've never in my life achieved a marriage to a fine man.” she paused, turning to look at him. “You've become a fine man, Garazeb.” She finished, and Zeb looked up, squinting in alarm.

His head started pounding, his heart was racing, his ears were ringing…he didn't…he couldn't…

“I can't breathe.” He gasped, voice coming out low as he shifted his collar.

He and Ruta looked away at the same time, her nodding but not quite understanding what was going on. Her mind was too preoccupied to notice that he _literally couldn't breathe._

“Yes, I'm quite nervous myself…” she mumbled, but her voice was faint against the rushing in his ears.

Leaning forward, he tried to breathe in deep and shake off the dizziness, but instead, all he accomplished was making the matter worse. Closing his eyes, he realized too late that he was tipping forward into the rocky waters below.

_____

“-and then they made me their chief while-” his storytelling was cut off by a hoarse growl/scream in the near background, one that genuinely made him jump. Looking at the two men in front of him, he got up and moved out of the cockpit to investigate, noticing with a pleased mindset how the two guards chose to follow him instead of sitting and guarding the ships.

Something was clearly wrong, and whoever was in trouble was loud enough to be echo off all the metal that surrounded them.

_____

“Garazeb?!” Divonatt screamed, catching the attention of all the guests that surrounded them. She noticed with mute horror as his father marched up to the balcony and looked over.

“Garazeb!” He growled in alarm, already moving back to remove his coat, but one of the Honor Guards stopped him, preventing him from jumping off the cliff.

“Sir, the rocks!” The guard screamed, pushing him back from the ledge. “It'll be a miracle if he survived that fall.”

“He's my son-” Bromen snarled, trying to yank his arm from the guard’s grip. Since his family was distantly related to the Lasat royal family, after the Genocide, along with being the Senator, he had also took up the Mantle of King so he knew that the Guards were only doing what they had to do.

He trusted them with his life, and they were there to guard it. It was honorable, but it didn't make the panic stop from coiling around his fast beating heart.

_____

He got out from the hangar bay just in time to see the body impact the water.

The three of them looked at each other before running out to the nearest landing platform, peering over the edge and watching as the white foam dissolved into bubbles.

“Will either one of you be saving him?” He asked, hoping that either one of the two men beside him would step up, but the rock in his chest only got deeper when they both shook their heads, Lyste turning to him with wide eyes.

“I can't even swim.” He mumbled, making ‘John’ roll his eyes as he started fumbling with the protective armor he had around his torso.

“What great guards you two make.” He mumbled sarcastically as he took off his belt and gave it to Titus, punching him in the gut as he did so before leaning down and taking off his boots. “Don't lose any of this.” He growled angrily at them, stepping back a few steps before running and diving off the edge of the platform.

He breathed in sharply before he hit the water.

Now, ‘John’ wasn't a particularly good swimmer, nor was he an expert in meteorology, but he was nearly 100% positive that not only was it a sunny day, but that there was not a cloud in the sky.

When he briefly looked up, blinking away the saltwater, the sky was dark and filled with clouds.

It was an unnatural phenomenon, but he could do nothing but swim forward and hope that he made it in time to save the fallen male Lasat.

Then, out of nowhere, there was a shockwave that could be felt all around the island.

The force from the blast sent ‘John’ back a few feet, tumbling in the water before he managed to tighten himself and continue swimming. He was running out of breath though, and he would need to come up soon. The good news was that he had Zeb in his sights, so within moments he had an arm wrapped around the bulk of the Lasat’s chest.

Propelling them upwards, it only took moments for them to breach the surface, ‘John’ gasping in air as he did so.

The Lasat was heavy, extremely so, and so with great consideration, he let go of the male and started swimming to shore while he concentrated on pulling on Zeb’s collar.

He kept wanting to go under.

The weight was too much.

Turning as best as he could, he let the Lasat sink before diving back under and working the coat off of him as best as he could, leaning it to sink to the bottom of the ocean. It made it easier for him to drag, but he was still to heavy.

He worked with what he could.

Finally, after minutes of swimming, he managed to drag the body onto the trail that led to the landing platform, but wasn't able to pull the body up completely until both Lyste and Titus came to his aid.

Hearing the loud thunk as he gasped for breath, he looked to the creature, quickly gathering his bearings as he stumbled to the young male.

“He’s not breathing!” Titus yelled from the floor, looking up at ‘John’ in distress. He quickly pushed him away, grabbing the small pocket knife from his belt that Lyste was holding as he did so, and brought it to the Lasats chest, ripping open the tight garment.

The purple beast below him opened his eyes and coughed, puking up and gurgling water as he tried to sit up and gasp in air.

“I never would've thought of that.” Lyste mumbled, staring with wide eyes.

“Clearly you've never been to Coruscant.” ‘John’ snarled back, not bothering to look at the man now standing beside him. Instead, his eyes got caught on a different object. “Where did you get this?” He asked in a whisper, grabbing the pendant and bringing it close to his face.

He hadn't seen one of these since…

“On your feet!” He looked up to see the end of a bo-rifle pointed at his face. Curiously, his eyes drifted up to see that it belonged to a rough looking male.

“Garazeb-” a deeper voice gasped, pushing through the small crowd of soldiers. He could only assume that this was the young Lasats father, easily noting the resemblance between the two of them. “-are you alright?”

“I'm fine, father.” He mumbled, accepting the hand that was offered to him with his own, leaving him to be pulled to his full height. It was almost intimidating, being surrounded by such a powerful species, but ‘John’ payed no mind to it, instead reveling in the fact that he was still alive. Locking eyes with the purple male, he heard a deep growl, and was immediately frozen in his place. “Shoot him.” He demanded angrily.

“Father!” Zeb growled right back, moving to block the human from his view before turning to the male who had his weapon pointed towards him. “Captain, do you really intend to kill my rescuer?” He asked, clearly frustrated with the lot of them.

‘John’ clasped his hands together and smiled tightly, bowing in thanks.

The Captain was torn, growling at the situation before shifting, bringing the weapon to his back holster before holding out his giant hand. “I believe thanks are in order.”

Hesitating, ‘John’ held out his hand before quickly moving it back. He didn't want to shake his hand, seeing as the Captain was just about to shoot him, but despite everything he had a good heart, and decided to trust the man. He clasped the offered hand tightly.

Quicker than he could think, the Lasat brought it forward, holding onto him tighter as he used his other hand to shift his shirt sleeve up, revealing the brand that marked him as a smuggler, and the scarred tattoo that marked him as a traitor.

“Had a run in with the Republic Trade Federation, did we, smuggler?” The Captain snarled smugly, and ‘John’ winced, cursing himself for his good heart. It always seemed to get him in trouble. “Men, keep your guns on him.”

“…well well, what do we have here?” He mumbled, turning his arm over to reveal the last tattoo, the one that put all the pieces together. The tattoo showed what was a mixture of the Starbird, Death Watch, and Jedi Order Symbol, which was commonly used amongst people who had once betrayed and/or was kicked out of the Jedi Order, marking them as a traitor to the Republic for their misdoings. It wasn't often that one saw this, but along with the giant ‘S’ brand, the jagged tattoo scrawl of the word ‘Traitor’, and the marking of what vaguely looked like butterfly wings on his wrist could only mean one thing. “If it isn't Caleb Dume.”

“Kanan Jarrus or Specter One, if you please, sir.” He responded easily, finally managing to yank his hand free from the male’s grip.

“I don't see your ship or your crew, _Specter One._ ” The Lasat parried back, raising and eyebrow mockingly at the shorter, long haired man.

“I'm in the market.” Kanan replied, voice tense and face completely serious, devoid of any emotion.

“He said he’d come to commandeer a ship.” Lyste cut in, back straight.

“Told you he was telling the truth.” Titus mumbled to his partner before he too stepped up to his superior. “These are his things, sir.” He announced with a pleased gleam in his eyes, holding out the list of items Kanan had given to him before he had gone and rescued Zeb.

The Captain looked on with distaste, grabbing each of the items before placing them back into Titus’ outstretched hands.

First, he grabbed his old, Clone Wars Era hand blaster. “No additional shots nor enough fire power.” He mumbled before reaching out and grabbing a small box, opening it to reveal a clear crystal and- “A broken navi-computer with no map.”

Reaching out, he grabbed the hilt of what looked like a lightsaber, but when he pulled the item from his leather utility belt, it looked like it was just an old rusted cylinder piece of scrap.

“I half expected this to be a toy.” He admitted, his eyes revealing that he was enjoying every moment of what was transpiring between them. “You are without doubt the worst smuggler I've ever heard of.” The Captain admitted, making Kanan smile despite the situation.

“But you have heard of me.” He boasted with a smile, it only getting wider once he heard the aggressive noise that came out of the Captain's throat.

The Captain of the Honor Guard harshly grabbed Kanan by his elbow before he proceeded to drag him off the landing platform they were all still standing on. The crowd around him dispersed slightly, the soldiers making a path for their infuriated leader.

“Captain!” Zeb yelled, quickly following after the pair, his father rushing to cover up his wet fur with his warm cloak before he stalked off. “Captain, stop!” He growled, using his hand to grab his shoulder and turn him around. “Smuggler or not, this man saved my life-”

“One good deed does not erase all the wickedness this man has done in his lifetime-”

“It's enough to condemn him, apparently…” Kanan muttered to himself, rolling his eyes when one of the soldiers handcuffed him.

Zeb turned to look at his father to try and reason with him, but before he could think, the smuggler had twisted in front of him and had drawn his saber, holding the hilt to Zeb’s throat.

The crowd gasped in horror, their weapons getting closer to the duo.

“No! Don't shoot!” Senator Orrelios screamed, waving his hands frantically at the Honor Guard Captain, who seemed to be at war with himself.

“I knew you'd warm up to me.” Kanan mumbled sarcastically, and Zeb, being so close to him, he could hear in his voice that Kanan was sorry. No matter what though, he couldn't excuse what the smuggler was doing. “My supplies please. And my belt, Captain.”

“Zeb, is it?” Kanan asked quietly, sounding apologetic.

“It's Garazeb.” He growled in response.

Kanan shrugged at him, watching as the Captain placed his belongings into Zeb’s outstretched hands.

“Well, Garazeb, if you'd be so kind.” He asked, bringing the hilt closer to the middle of his back, where the Lasat’s heart was, opening his chained together arms and settled them by Zebs waist. “We don't have all day.”

Angrily, Zeb grabbed the utility belt from the top of the pile and harshly set it on Kanan’s waist, clipping it together at the front of his trousers with glare. Next, he placed the portable broken navi-computer around his neck since it was attached to a metal string.

Then, all that was left were his shoes.

Grumbling to himself, Zeb kneeled down, his face leveled with the smugglers crotch as he placed each boot on perfectly.

Getting up, he frowned, feeling the slightest bit of pleasure as he took in Kanan’s slightly uncomfortable expression. “You're despicable.” He hissed at the man.

“Sticks and stones, Zeb.” He huffed, glaring defiantly at the taller male. “I saved your life, you saved mine. We're even.” Kanan mumbled at him before letting him go with a flourish, the hilt of his lightsaber still pointed at the group as he announced his departure. “Ladies and gentlemen, you will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Kanan Jarrus!”

And with a backstep and a truly impressive Force-jump, Kanan was gone, his footsteps drowned out by the sound of the blaster fire that followed him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Kallus in this chapter folks, sorry. 
> 
> Also, Kanan is a bit out of character, but other than that, he won't be for pretty much the rest of the story. 
> 
> Next chapter I will be introducing another familiar face into the story, plus, Kallus will be in it, so you've got that, plus the thickening plot coming right up!


End file.
